8,305 Medical Students Held Back... 42.6% of Total (Comprehensive)

A Total of 1,626 First-Year Students to Be Held Back
Only 34% of Medical Students Able to Attend Classes This Semester
Medical School Deans: "Focusing on Education for Returning Students"

A total of 8,305 medical students who registered but did not participate in classes will be held back a year, and 46 students will be expelled. As a result, a "tripling" phenomenon?where students from the classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026 all crowd into the first year of medical school in 2026?is expected to become a reality. The Ministry of Education and medical schools have decided to focus on the education of returning medical students, including those affected by the tripling.

On May 9, the Ministry of Education announced the status of medical students subject to being held back or expelled, as submitted by 40 medical schools nationwide. Previously, on April 30, the Ministry had requested that universities finalize and submit their decisions regarding holding back or expelling students who had not returned to classes. Being held back means a student cannot advance to the next academic year. Expulsion means a student’s name is removed from the school register, and re-admission is required to attend the school again.

According to data submitted by each university to the Ministry of Education on May 7, out of 19,475 enrolled medical students, 8,305 students?42.6%?are scheduled to be held back. The number of students slated for expulsion is 46, and each university plans to proceed according to its regulations, including any required hearings.

Among those scheduled to be held back, 1,241 are first-year pre-medical students from the class of 2025, and 385 are first-year pre-medical students from the class of 2024 or earlier. The number of second-year pre-medical students is 829. In the main medical program, 5,850 students are scheduled to be held back.

At universities where there is no system for holding back students in the pre-medical program, 3,027 students are expected to receive academic warnings based on grades finalized after the first semester of this year. These students will be processed according to procedures such as grade assessment at the end of the semester. There are 1,389 students who registered for only one course in the first semester in order to avoid being held back or expelled. The Ministry of Education explained, "Among the students expected to receive academic warnings and those who registered for only one course, 3,650 pre-medical students will be able to participate in classes in the second semester of this year," adding, "If they make up for the credits they missed in the first semester, they may be able to advance to the next year as normal."

Excluding these students, the number of medical students who can participate in classes to the fullest extent in the first semester is 6,708, which is 34.4% of all medical students.

Ministry of Education and 40 Medical Schools: "Focusing on Education for Returning Students"

The Ministry of Education plans to work closely with universities to ensure that students returning to their studies can receive proper education. The Ministry also warned of strict, government-wide measures to prevent any infringement of the learning rights of returning students. A "Medical Education Committee" (provisional name) will also be established to gather opinions from all stakeholders in medical education, including students.

For vacancies resulting from expulsions and withdrawals, each university will be supported so that they can fill the gaps through transfer admissions.

To prepare for the now-realized "tripling" situation, each university will thoroughly analyze and prepare for the status of students by advancement year in advance. Measures such as granting priority in course registration to students from the class of 2026 are being discussed. The Ministry of Education stated, "Taking into account the educational conditions at each university, we will work closely with universities to ensure that incoming students can receive priority in education within feasible limits."

The Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC), which is the national association of deans of medical schools, issued a statement on this day, saying, "From now on, the 40 medical schools will devote themselves to the education of students returning to their studies," and, "The association and schools will spare no effort to support returning students so that they can attend classes with peace of mind." The statement also urged, "We ask students who have made the difficult decision to return to their studies to remain steadfast in their academic pursuits."